eau minérale
/o mi.ne.ʁal/feminine
The English phrase "mineral water" is translated into French as eau minérale.
eau minérale is used to refer to water containing dissolved minerals. You can specify the type of water by adding descriptors: eau minérale plate or eau minérale sans bulles both mean "still mineral water", while eau gazeuse minérale means "sparkling mineral water". It is also common to refer to a bottle of mineral water as une bouteille d'eau minérale or a large bottle as une grande bouteille d'eau minérale. You might use the phrase Je voudrais une eau minérale, s'il vous plaît to mean "I would like a mineral water, please".
Meaning: water containing dissolved minerals (noun)
Which one should you use?
While eau minérale refers specifically to water with a defined mineral content, the term eau gazeuse is a broader term that refers to sparkling water regardless of whether it has a mineral content.
How does it change in a sentence?
eau minérale is a feminine noun. When you are expressing an unspecified quantity of mineral water, use the partitive article de l'eau minérale. If the phrase follows a preposition like de or another quantity, the article elides to become d'eau minérale.
Did you know?
- In a French pharmacy, you might find eau minérale recommended for specific health reasons because certain brands are marketed as therapeutic waters.
- Many French people refer to their preferred eau minérale by its brand name, such as une Evian or une Vittel, rather than using the generic term.
- While eau minérale refers to the product, the French also use the term eau de source for spring water, which is often confused by English speakers as being the same thing.
Examples in context
- J'aime boire de l'eau minérale naturelle.I like to drink natural mineral water.This sentence shows how to express a preference for drinking eau minérale.Tatoeba #540177 by sacredceltic, translation #540113 by gracehero
- Est-ce que vous vendez de l'eau minérale ?Do you sell mineral water?This sentence is useful for asking if a shop sells eau minérale.Tatoeba #7482765 by Micsmithel, translation #5765774 by strickvl
- J'ai tout le temps une bouteille d'eau minérale sur moi.I always carry a bottle of mineral water with me.This sentence demonstrates the phrase une bouteille d'eau minérale when talking about carrying one.Tatoeba #335112 by trotter, translation #253123 by CK
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a restaurant during lunch.
- ChloéJe voudrais une eau minérale, s'il vous plaît.I would like a mineral water, please.
- GabrielTrès bien, Chloé. Autre chose ?Very well, Chloé. Anything else?
- ChloéNon merci, c'est tout.No thanks, that is all.
- GabrielJe vous apporte ça tout de suite.I will bring that to you right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mineral water” translations and entries eau minérale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
